1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a connector with a front member that is mountable on the front surface of a terminal accommodating portion.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-160444 discloses a female connector that was developed in response to a demand to miniaturize connectors. The connector shown in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-160444 has a housing with cavities for receiving terminal fittings. The housing is formed without a front wall to ensure sufficient margins for a mold to form locks and walls in the cavities. The front wall is formed separately and is mounted later.
A front wall also can be formed separately on a male connector. A housing of a male connector normally has a receptacle to surround a front part of a terminal accommodating portion where cavities are formed. Male terminals are inserted into the cavities so that tabs of the terminals project into a receptacle of the housing. Thus, a separate front wall is inserted to the back of the receptacle and is mounted on the terminal accommodating portion.
The front wall can be inserted smoothly to the back of the receptacle if the front wall has cross section shaped to fit closely in the receptacle. The front wall may have a cross section obtained as if by cutting off part of the cross section of the receptacle. For example, FIG. 14 shows a housing 1 of a male connector. A receptacle 2 projects from the housing 1 and a rib 3 is at a specified position on an inner surface of the receptacle 2 to enable a housing of a mating female connector to fit in the receptacle in a proper orientation. The housing of the female connector is fit so that the rib 3 aligns with an escape groove in the outer peripheral surface of the mating female housing.
Several male housings 1 may have similar constructions. However, the position of the rib 3 for preventing the upside-down insertion may change to the opposite side as shown in phantom in FIG. 14 depending on the kind of the connector. The front wall may have a cross section to fit closely into the receptacle 2, and different kinds of front walls may be formed with the escape grooves at different positions to enable the corresponding ribs 3 to escape. The front wall conforms to the different positions of the ribs 3. However, this is disadvantageous in terms of production costs.
The front wall 4 has a cross section obtained as if by cutting off part of the cross section of the receptacle 2 to avoid interference with an area where the rib 3 is provided, as shown in FIG. 14. Thus, the front wall can be used commonly for different male housings 1 where the ribs 3 are at different positions.
A front wall 4 that has a cross section obtained as if by cutting off a part of the cross section of the receptacle 2 cannot be inserted smoothly into the receptacle 2, and more time is needed to mount the front wall 4.
The invention was developed in view of the above problems and an object thereof is to enable a front member to be easily and precisely mounted.